The Writer
by Lady-Lyonnesse
Summary: "Dean Winchester?" the girl stuck her hand out. "Hey, I'm Melinda Halliwell - I'm from the future." Set post S8 Charmed and in an alternate S5 Supernatural. Possible spoilers.
1. Prologue

**Title: A Writer**

**Author: Lady-Lyonnesse**

**Rating: T**

**Summary: "Dean Winchester?" the girl stuck her hand out. "Hey, I'm Melinda Halliwell - I'm from the future." Set post S8 Charmed and in an alternate S5 Supernatural.**

**Prologue**

_Year: 2030_

When Melinda had been asked at school what she wanted to be when she's older, she might've said; '_doctor_' or '_teacher_' or possibly '_witch_' if she'd been young enough to get away with it. Running down a deserted street, in a post-Apocalyptic world, trying to fend off fire-throwing demons was NOT the first thing that would've come to mind.

"What the hell are those things?" Adam yelled, running a long side her, veering off as a car was hit with a jet of fire and exploded up into the air.

"Mercury demons!" Melinda replied, panting and dodging another exploding car. Adam rolled his eyes and charged at Melinda, grabbing her by her jacket and throwing both of them into an empty building, each scrambling to either side of the opening as another burst of fire flared into the room for a second.

"Whatever it is, the bitch has serious firepower." Adam groaned, coughing slightly.

"It's not fire, it's heat; thermal blasts." Melinda informed him, matter-of-factly. Adam glared at her - looking uncannily like his brother, Dean.

"Whatever Mel, how do we _kill_ it?" he demanded. Melinda shrugged.

"Could try blowing it up." she suggested.

"No damn way!" Adam protested, but Melinda had already broke cover and positioned herself into the doorway. "_Melinda_!" Adam yelled as Melinda flicked her hands - only to be thrown backwards by the force of the blast. Adam darted out as soon as the blast had dissipated and ran to Melinda's side. "You okay?" he asked, shaking her shoulder roughly.

"OW!" Melinda protested, sitting up and coughing, the ends of her hair singed slightly. "That's hot." Adam didn't know whether to hug her or yell. Luckily he was saved making a choice by Chris orbing in.

"Need help?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.

"We're fine!" Melinda told him, struggling to stand but only falling back onto the floor. Adam and Chris exchanged looks. 

"You look it." Chris noted. Melinda narrowed her eyes.

"Just tell us how to kill the thing." she ground out.

"You can't. Only the Power of Three can kill a Mercury Demon." Chris told her, indifferently.

"Great. Where's Wyatt when you need him?" Adam muttered.

"Well, if you wanna talk to him in his present state of mind, go ahead. Let me know how that turns out." Melinda snapped, using the wall to push herself to her feet. "And you! Aren't you meant to be working on that spell?" she turned to her brother, hands on hips.

"Already done." he produced a bit of paper from his pocket and waved it in front of her. "It's like I already knew the words." he added thoughtfully.

"What spell?" Adam demanded, looking between them. "What the hell are you planning?" A loud roar prevented any possible reply and a Mercury Demon appeared in the doorway.

"Yeah, orbing now - yelling later." Melinda said, seizing Adam and Chris's hands and disappearing in a flurry of white and blue orbs just as a blast singed the wall where they'd been seconds before.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

_Year: 2010_

Dean's head hurt. It wasn't anything unusual - ever since Lucifer had been set free from Hell and the Horsemen had appeared, a headache was a daily occurrence. Occasionally he wondered if it was Michael trying to force his way into his head - but he was pretty sure that if Michael was anywhere within a five mile radius of him, Cas would've freaked out before now.

Not that Cas freaking out wasn't freakin hilarious - well, it would be if it didn't usually involve Sam and Dean's lives being the reason of his freak out.

Even so, the headaches were a pain and this was the first opportunity where Sam and Cas had been out and he'd been able to sneak down to the drug store to grab aspirin. He had a hunch that Michael or no, if Sam and Cas knew he had a headache they would _fuss_.

"Scuse me," Dean glanced down with as little head movement as possible and saw a small girl, clutching a larger than life teddy bear and looking up at him with big blue eyes. "Is my mommy there?"

"Er," Dean looked round, helplessly. "Sorry kid, I don't think so."

"Oh." the girl's eyes welled up. Dean paused for a minute and then rolled his eyes - screw his brotherly nature.

"What does she look like?" he asked her, bending down.

"She has long hair and is real pretty." the girl answered - her words almost indistinguishable by the fact she was now sucking on her thumb, the teddy bear lodged in the crook of her arm.

'_Is she single_?' Dean couldn't help wondering. "Erm, okay - where did you lose her?"

"Prudence Melinda Halliwell!" a woman's cry cut across the girl's reply as a woman strode towards them. "You don't let go of Mommy's hand - hasn't Mommy told you?"

"It was Chris's fault!" the little girl whined, running over to the woman and hugging her around the knees.

"Isn't it always?" the woman muttered. "Hi, I'm Piper Halliwell." she said, holding her hand out to Dean.

"Dean Winchester." Dean replied, shaking it.

"I'm sorry about my daughter - brothers, you know." Piper rolled her eyes and smiled at him.

"Oh I do." Dean assured her. Piper wasn't all that tall - only coming up to his shoulder. The girl hadn't been lying when she'd said that she'd had long hair - it came down to the woman's waist. She didn't look half-bad either. A bit older than Dean, maybe but like that had ever stopped him before. If situations had been different, he would've had no problems in trying to score. However, two things stopped him; one was the wedding band on her hand and two was her eyes. They looked far too tired, like they'd seen too much for her age - and Dean could relate.

"Well," Piper smiled again, taking Melinda's hand that wasn't in her mouth. "I better go and round up my other renegade kids. Say goodbye to Dean, Melinda."

"G'bye Dean." Melinda said, taking her hand from her mouth to give him a small wave whilst still trying to keep hold of the big teddy bear, before leaving with her mother. Dean watched them as he left - if circumstances had been different, he could've had a kid by now. A cute kid like Melinda wouldn't have been so bad, but Dean bet that she would be trouble when she became a teenager... And there was a triquetra embroidered on the bear's left foot.

IMPLOSIONBREAKINTEXT

"Dean, are you sure?" Sam asked, looking at Dean worriedly.

"Of course I'm sure!" Dean snapped, glaring at his younger brother. Sam bit his lip; he'd returned to the motel to a very agitated Dean flicking through John's journal with unusual carelessness - which was odd in itself, as Dean usually treated that thing like a bible. Dean's explanation had been even odder.

"Dean, why would a child know what a triquetra even _meant_?" Sam tried to reason with his brother.

"I dunno - maybe she's got witchy parents?" Dean retorted.

"So you're saying that Piper Halliwell is a witch?" Sam repeated. "Dean, the triquetra isn't only a symbol of witchcraft, you know that."

"Yeah, I know, but look!" Dean held up John's journal for Sam - to reveal a crudely drawn Triquertra that took up most of the page - scrawled notes filling in the remaining spaces. But at the bottom were two letters; _S.F._

"S.F.?" Sam read. "San Fransisco?"

"I'm telling you man, somethings going down." Dean said, snapping the journal shut and tossing it onto the bed. "And it ain't good."

IMPLOSIONBREAKINTEXT

"Phoebe, we're back!" Piper yelled as she entered the manor, herding her kids in front of her, Leo following, carrying the bags.

"Hey!" Phoebe grinned at them, coming down the stairs, her second daughter balanced on her hip. "How did shopping go?"

"It was good." Leo said, setting the bags down in the hallway. "The boys and I looked at model cars and airplanes..."

"Melinda ran off again." Piper cut across him, throwing her keys onto a cabinet and striding towards the kitchen.

"_Again?_" Phoebe asked, following her sister. "But that's the third time these past two weeks."

"She ran off again?" Leo put in, once again being left to carry the bags.

"Yes, Leo - you would've noticed if you were paying attention." Piper said, curtly. Leo frowned as Phoebe suddenly became very interested in her daughter's t-shirt.

"I was paying attention Piper, it was just the boys' turn." he said, looking slightly hurt by Piper's comment.

"I know sweetie, but it's always the boys' turn. I know that Chris's future shocked you but you have to pay attention to all _three_ of our kids - not just the boys." Piper said, softening slightly. Leo sighed.

"I know, I'm sorry. Look, tonight I'll put Melinda to bed and read her a bedtime story, okay?" he suggested.

"Well maybe that's not good enough - you should read her a story every night and not when your wife nags you to!" Piper replied, banging a milk carton down on the counter. Before Leo could say anymore Melinda herself came running in, wailing loudly.

"Wyatt and Chris are being mean again and I hurt my finger." She gabbled out all in one breath, thrusting her finger into Piper's face for immediate examination.

"Oh, sweetie," Piper said, catching hold of the finger before it poked her in the eye. "How did you do that?" 

"Hitting Wyatt."

"You hurt your finger hitting Wyatt?" Phoebe put in, bemused.

"Yes, he was mean so I hit him." Melinda answered, unashamed, jutting her chin out in the trademark Halliwell stubborn streak.

"Okay, well Mommy will kiss it better and then Daddy can get it a band aid, okay?" Piper asked, kissing her daughter's finger and looking up at Leo, signaling with her eyebrows.

"No!" Melinda tugged on Piper's shirt. "I want you to get me a band aid!"

"But Mommy has to make dinner..." Piper began, only to stop at the sight of Melinda's quivering lip. "Okay, let's get you a band aid." She sighed, hoisting the child onto her hip and walking out of the room, sending Leo one of her infamous; _We-Are-Going-To-Talk_ looks as she went.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

_Year: 2030_

Bobby's house was quiet when the three orbed in. All the main power stations had been disabled in the first few years of the apocalypse, leaving all machinery and lighting utterly powerless. Some lit candles at night but it was just like drawing moths to a flame. Except these moths could probably rip you into a thousand pieces.

"Okay, everyone split up to look for Bobby." Adam hissed, reaching for his gun and cocking it quietly.

"Split up? I do not think so." Melinda replied, gripping his sleeve, fiercely.

"I agree," Chris said. "Bobby likes to set up defense mechanisms..." Melinda grinned; she knew the equal caution and distaste for Bobby's '_defense mechanisms_' on Chris's part was due to when he was twelve and had accidently orbed directly into one of Bobby's defense mechanisms. In the end Cas had been the one to go and rescue him – not that he looked particularly pleased about it.

"Somehow that does not surprise me." Adam said, oblivious to Chris's unease. "Alright, Mel with me and Chris if you..." 

"Nuh uh, no way." Chris said. "He's probably got bear traps made of iron and paddling pools of boiling holy water out there."

"Seriously, dudes? It's Bobby – he doesn't want to kill us WHOA!" Adam broke off in a yell as he was suddenly hoisted into the air by his ankle, his gun falling to the floor with a clatter. Seconds after, something came out of the shadows and whacked Chris in the knees, knocking his legs out from underneath him and then proceeding to continue beating any part of his body it could get to.

"Okay, everybody FREEZE!" Melinda yelled, raising her hands. The scene froze; Adam dangling upside down, his mouth open, in the middle of swearing, the big stick poised just above Chris's head. Chris groaned.

"Took you long enough." He grumbled, crawling from out of reach of the stick. "Well, what are you waiting for? Blow the son of a bitch to hell." 

"Chris, I don't think it's a demon." Melinda told him, peering towards the thing, squinting in an attempt to see its face. "It's Bobby!"

"I don't care." Chris muttered, standing up slowly. "Ouch!"

"Baby." Melinda told him, half-heartedly, flicking one of her hands. The stick smacked to the floor with a wooden thud, almost lost in the midst of Adam's curses. "Uncle Bobby! It's us – Melinda, Chris and Adam!" Melinda gabbled quickly before the stick could be raised again. There was a pause.

"You'll know the password then." Bobby grunted, eventually.

"Password?" Melinda looked to Chris who shrugged. "What password?"

"The one which means you are who you say you are." Bobby replied, raising the stick again.

"Er..."

"PEANUTS!" Adam roared.

"Excuse me?" Melinda whirled around to stare at him. "Did the blood rush to your head too quickly?"

"NO! That's the password; PEANUTS!" Adam shouted. "Now let me DOWN already!"

"Alright, alright kid, quit your whining." Bobby grumbled, leaning over in his wheelchair and loosening a rope. Adam crashed to the floor with a loud bang.

"What the hell was that all about? Are you trying to kill us?" Chris rounded on Bobby, rubbing his sore neck while Melinda went to help Adam.

"Can't be too careful boy." Bobby replied, not sounding one bit remorseful. "Of course, if you damn Whitelighters _knocked_ like normal people, you could've just said the password and that would've been it."

"All the while staring down the barrel of a rifle." Adam put in, bitterly, hobbling over to his feet, one hand on Melinda's shoulder for support.

"You can tell you were raised by a woman." Bobby said. "So, what y'all doing here? Won't the others be getting worried?"

"We think we have a plan." Melinda put in, ignoring the death glares she was receiving from Adam for including him in this 'plan'.

"You _think_? Mel, in this time, you gotta be pretty damn sure of a plan _before_ you can think about doing it." Bobby said, firmly.

"Yeah well, some plan's better than no plan, right?" Melinda asked, grinning at him. Bobby gave her a small half smile; he never had been one to stay angry at Melinda for long – or Piper for that matter, either.

"I guess you'll be wanting someone to be the voice of reason then." He said. "Come on, follow me – and _don't_ touch anything." He added to Chris, sternly. Chris pulled a face but followed reluctantly. Melinda had only taken a few steps before she felt her mobile go off in her pocket. Fishing it out she looked at the Caller ID; _IMPALA_, and replaced it.

"You okay?" Adam asked, one hand still firmly clasped on her shoulder.

"Yeah, sure."

IMPLOSIONBREAKINTEXT

"So, what do you think?" Chris finished. Bobby looked at them thoughtfully, resting his chin on his interlocked fingers. Melinda shivered; Bobby's strong room hadn't been the warmest place even when the power had been _on _to power the small electric heater.

"I think it would be safer to go ask Lucifer for a ride." Bobby said, bluntly, turning to Melinda. "What the hell are you thinking girl?"

"I was thinking about stopping Lucifer – that and getting a corn dog." Melinda replied, smartly.

"Don't you smart ass me. I get enough of that from the boys." Bobby snapped. Melinda looked taken aback. "Look, I know how losing your brother was unexpected – all of you." He added, looking at Adam. "But they're gone."

"Dude, this isn't about Wyatt or Sam." Melinda told him, shortly. "This is about the entire fricken world."

"And you guys support her on this?" Bobby asked, turning to Chris and Adam.

"No, but my opinion isn't going to change her mind so might as well go with it." Adam said, giving a half grin while Chris shrugged and nodded.

"Right well, suppose you're gonna need help then." Bobby said, wheeling over to the "supply" cupboard. "Oh come on, you can't expect to get anywhere without reloads at least!" he added, seeing the incredulous look on all three of their faces.

"You're gonna help us?" Melinda asked, tentatively. "But I thought you said –"

"I said you were insane, didn't make it a good plan!" Bobby pointed out, chucking a rifle at Adam. "Now then, you two better take one too – just because you have those witchy powers don't mean they'll always work."

"And a gun, yeah that's always reliable." Chris muttered, taking one resentfully and moving out of reach before Bobby could clout him.

"So, what do Dean and Piper say about this?" Bobby asked. Silence. "They don't know do they?"

"We didn't want them to worry." Melinda shrugged.

"Bull, they worry about you every day - especially when you don't take their damn calls." Bobby said, making Melinda flush.

"It can wait." She said – just as the room began to shake.

"Evidently it can't." Chris remarked.

_Year: 2010_

Piper held the jug under the tap. It was a sunny day in San Francisco and the kids were playing out front, or rather they were fighting out front – but you know, it was a nice day and Leo was teaching at Magic school so if pummeling each other meant they had less energy to argue after then Piper was all too happy to let them continue – that and the fact it wasn't in the house. Although, she realized that sooner or later, _someone_ would get hurt and all hell would break loose but till then...

"Mommy! Mommy!" Piper closed her eyes and turned off the tap. _Why did she have kids again_? She thought, sighing and turning around as Chris came flying through the door.

"What is it honey?" she asked, prepared for the whole; _Wyatt-keeps-calling-my-hair-girly_ rant.

"Melinda's talking to strange men!" Chris gabbled. Piper shot out the room; she had not been prepared for that.

"Melinda?" she yelled, skidding round the corner and wrenching the door open. There were two men standing on the pavement, listening as Melinda chattered away, paying no heed of Wyatt clutching her arm in a protective-older-brother manner. "Melinda?"

"Mommy!" Melinda ran up to her, smiling. "It's Dean!"

"Dean?" Piper asked, distractedly, fussing over her daughter. "Dean who?"

"_Dean_! From yesterday!" Melinda said, impatiently, pushing Piper's hands away. Piper glanced up. They were both tall and quite young looking, but the slightly shorter one rang bells of recognition in Piper's head. He grinned at her.

"Piper Halliwell?" he asked. She nodded. "We met at the drug store yesterday..."

"Oh yeah, I remember. Dean Winchester?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am." Dean grinned. "Sorry if we scared you, we were just going for a walk and well, Mel here has a better memory than either of us."

"Oh, that's okay." Piper felt herself relax. "Anyway you guys ready for juice?" she asked her kids.

"Yes! Come have some juice, it's apple!" Melinda agreed, running across to the two men and grabbing Dean by the hand.

"Oh, now we don't want to interrupt..." Dean began.

"No, that's okay, come in. You can help with crowd control here." Piper cut across him, gesturing to Chris who was peeking out from behind her leg, shyly and Wyatt who held her hand and attempted a glare at the two men.

"Well, in that case I've always been a sucker for apple juice." Dean agreed, allowing Melinda to pull him into the garden. "Come on Sam!"


End file.
